Disinfecting device for telephone and other uses



N. v. SMITH.

DISINFECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE AND OTHER USES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23' 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

NORTI-IEY V. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN'OR TO GEORGE A.GOULSTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DISINFEOTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE AND OTHER USES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application filed October 23, 1920. Serial No. 418,990.

T 0 all 1072 am it may concern: I

Be it known that I, NORTHEY VAUGHAN SMITH, a British subject, andresident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DisinfectingDevices for Telephone and other Uses, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention is intended to provide a device for disinfectingand deodorizing mouth pieces of telephone transmitters to keep the samesterilized and thus prevent the transmission of disease germs throughtelephones which are a prolific source of communicating disease.

Heretofore it has been proposed to insert in the mouth piece somesterilizing agent or preventive but these are objectionable to users astending to obstruct or impair the efiiciency of the telephone service,whereas the present device is based on the principle of leaving themouth piece entirely free or unobstructed while suspending adisinfective pad outside of the mouth piece but in close enoughproximity thereto to allow the fumes therefrom to penetrate the mouthpiece and keep the same sterile. A further feature consists in theparticular construction by which old pads may be conveniently replacedby fresh ones as often as need be.

These and other features of the invention will be described in thefollowing specification and will be defined in the claims heretoannexed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenientform embodying the principles of this invention, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation showing the disinfecting pad operatively suspended fromthe telephone transmitter.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the complete device reac y for attachment.

Fig. f is a vertical central section showing the back and front holdingmembers with the disinfecting pad interposed between them.

According to the practice of the invention according to the formillustrated in, the drawings I provide a pad suspending membercomprising a back piece 2 of any suitable'thin sheet material such asprepared cloth, leather, paper, metal or the like whose lower pendantportion forms a backing for Suitable retaining means are provided forprotecting and holding the pad in place. As shown in the drawings thiscomprises a front member 4 preferably of like material to that formingthe back and this front member is perforated as shown at 5 to allow thefumes to rise into the mouth piece. The upper end of the front membermay, as shown, extend upward to form a suspension portion 6 which likethe back member is perforated to pass over the inner end of the mouthpiece.

Where pliable'material like rubber or cloth is used for the padcontainer or carrier the two members thereof may be stitched togethernear their "outer edges as indicated at 9, a sufliciently wideunstitched place being left above the pad receiving portion toalloW thetwo members to be opened apart to admit the pad or to remove it forpurposes of renewal. It will be found that although the sterilizing padis not directly in the mouth piece yet when suspended behind the frontthereof the fumes will readily penetrate the open front and will beeffective in destroying germs anddeodorizing the mouth piece. There is amaterial advantage in providing both pad retaining members with asuspension tab per= forated to fit over the reduced end of the mouthpiece because with that form of con-,

the two retaining members together it will be understood that anysuitable connecting means may be employed.

What I claim is:

V A disinfecting device for telephonesembracing front and back membersstitched together around their lower edges and having upwardly extendingperforated suspension tabs capable of being separated to admit a pad,the front member being perforated to allow the escape of fumes into themouth piece, and a disinfecting pad inserted between the two membersopposite the perforation in the front member, substantially asdescribed. 10

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

NORTHEY V. SMITH.

